Finding Her True Path
by Kyra5972
Summary: Bella wanders into a karaoke bar while spending Christmas Break in L.A. and is set on her True Path.


**Title:** Finding Her True Path

**Author:** Kyra

**Disclaimer:** I don't own them; if I did I wouldn't be writing fanfiction.

**Summary:** Bella wanders into a karaoke bar while spending Christmas Break in L.A. and is set on her True Path.

**Pairings:** Very slight Bella/Connor

**Spoilers:** Twilight – Up through Edward leaving. AtS - None really...Connor's around and Caritas is intact, other than that, nothing.

**Warnings:** None that I can think of.

**A/N:** Just another oneshot that I wrote recently. I hope you like it!

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Bella sighed as she walked down the streets of L.A. Edward had left her three and a half months ago and since then she had been depressed. Charlie had decided that a change of scenery would be good for her and brought her to L.A. for Christmas Break.

The sun was just setting as Bella glanced around before noticing a neon sign reading _Caritas_. Seconds later, the door below the sign opened and a woman exited the building, music escaping through the open door for a moment before it closed once more.

Bella glanced around again for a moment before shrugging and heading for the door. Pausing as she stepped inside, Bella let her eyes adjust to the change in lighting before looking around. As she took in the patrons, her eyes went wide. Sitting at many of the tables were customers that were definitely _not_ human. Some had scales, while others dripped slime, and yet other had claws. In fact, there was one standing on stage with red skin, purple fur, and blue antlers singing a horrible rendition of 'Man, I Feel Like A Woman' by Shania Twain...Which was made even weirder by the fact that the creature seemed to be male.

As she continued looking around, Bella noticed that there seemed to be just as many humans as non-humans in the club.

"Well, hello there, Honeycomb."

Bella was startled out of her observations and turned to face the person talking to her, only to see a man with green skin, red eyes and red horns standing next to her in a bright yellow suit. Bella's jaw dropped slightly in shock as she saw him.

The green man smiled at her in understanding. "First time in here, Honeycomb?"

"Uh, y-yeah, " Bella stuttered. "What is this place?'

"Caritas. A Sanctuary and karaoke bar all in one," the green man replied.

"Sanctuary?"

The man nodded, "A safe place for humans and demons alike. There's a spell over the building that prevents violence. It's also a place where anyone can go if they need help finding their path."

Bella looked at him in confusion. "What do you mean, 'finding their path'?" She asked.

"I'm anagogic, an empath. I can read people's auras, but only when they sing. Someone sings, I read their aura, and if they want, help put them on their path," He replied, smiling softly at the teen in front of him. "I'm Lorne, by the way."

"Bella. Could you read me?" She asked. "If I sing?"

"Sure thing, Honeycomb. You just go pick out a song and when you're done singing, you come see me."

Bella nodded and made her way over to pick out a song, flipping through the book for a moment before making her selection. A few minutes later, Bella stood in front of the microphone at the center of the stage, determinedly ignoring the eyes on her. She took a deep breath as the first strains of 'Goodbye To You' by Michelle Branch filled the club.

As she sang, thoughts and memories of Edward flooded Bella's mind and tears welled in her eyes. The song ended and Bella quickly made her way off the stage, stubbornly refusing to let the tears fall.

Bella sat down at the bar next to Lorne and looked at him. "So?" She asked, wiping away the lone tear that escaped and trailed down over her cheek.

Lorne motioned to the bartender and when two drinks were placed in front of him, he slid the Shirley Temple over to Bella, keeping the Sea Breeze for himself. He took a sip of his drink before turning his attention to Bella. "First thing you need to know," He told her, "is that things happen for a reason. Everything that's happened so far was meant to happen, to lead you here, so that you could find your way to your true path."

"But...Edward..." Bella protested softly.

Lorne gave her a sympathetic smile. "Oh, Honeycomb, that was never your path. Trust me, everything will work out for the best and things will get better. I Promise. And he can help." Lorne nodded toward a brunette teen sitting at a table by himself in one of the darker corners.

Bella looked at the brooding teen for a moment before turning back to Lorne. "Him?" She asked. "How can he help me?"

"Sorry, Honeycomb," Lorne apologized. "I just point people toward their paths, what they do from there is up to them."

Bella hesitated for a second before nodding and standing up, whispering a soft _thank you_ before heading to the dark table the teen was at.

Bella hesitated once more as she reached the table. After a moment she took a deep breath and cleared her throat softly. Once the other teen looked at her, Bella smiled unsurely.

"Hi, I'm Bella," She said introducing herself before motioning to one of the empty chairs at the table. "Mind if I sit down?"

Clear blue eyes studied her for a moment before he shrugged.

Bella smiled again as she sat down. After a few minutes of slightly awkward and uncomfortable silence, Bella finally spoke.

"So..." She started, causing the boy to turn his gaze to her. "The green guy said that you're part of my path." She paused for a second. "Any idea what he meant?"

The brunette looked at her in confusion for a moment before sending an inquiring look toward Lorne. Getting a smile and an encouraging nod in response, he turned back to Bella.

"No idea," He told her. "I'm Connor, by the way."

The table descended into silence once more and Connor glanced around uncomfortably. As he looked around, he caught sight of Lorne out of the corner of his eye, the empath demon gesturing furiously between them and the bar and miming drinking something. Turning back to Bella, Connor cleared his throat nervously.

"So, uh, do you want something to drink?" He asked awkwardly.

"Um, sure," Bella replied. "Another Shirley Temple?"

Bella watched as Connor nodded before heading up to the bar, having a short conversation with Lorne as he waited for their drinks, wondering idly what they were talking about and if it had anything to do with her.

Connor returned to the table a short while later and placed Bella's drink in front of her as he sat down.

"So, uh...Are you from around here?" He asked.

"Oh, um, no. I live in Washington, " Bella replied. "I'm just here for Christmas Break."

"You're in school, then?"

Bella nodded. "Yeah. Are you?"

"Uh, no..." Connor answered slowly.

"Oh?" Bella asked curiously. "Did you graduate already?"

Connor shook his head. "No. I, uh, I didn't exactly grow up around here."

"Really? Where did you grow up?" Bella asked as she leaned forward in interest.

Connor glanced back at Lorne real quick before looking at Bella nervously. "I grew up in a hell dimension called Quor-toth," He said softly, his gaze on the table so that he wouldn't have to see Bella's reaction to his admission.

Bella didn't really know what to say to that, so she changed the topic.

"Lorne said that this was a safe place for both humans and demons...Are there a lot of demons?" Bella asked. "I mean, before today I only knew about vampires..."

After that, the conversation flowed steadily, topics ranging from demons and vampires, to music to movie, to their family, and their lives so far. They were discussing the differences between vampires like the Cullens and vampires like Connor's parents when they were interrupted by the sound of Bella's cell phone ringing.

"Hello?" Bella answered, her smile fading and her eyes widening before she looked down at her watch. "Oh, my God! I'm so sorry! I didn't realize so much time had passed. I'll head back now."

Bella hung up her phone and turned to look at Connor apologetically. "That was my dad," She said. "I'm sorry, but I have to go. I was supposed to be back at the hotel half an hour ago."

"That's okay," Connor replied as he stood up as well. "Let me walk you back to your hotel; L.A. isn't safe after dark."

Bella just smiled at Connor and nodded as they headed for the door.

The short walk to Bella's hotel was spent in companionable silence and Connor walked Bella all the way to the door of her room.

"Bella?" Connor asked as Bella went to unlock the door.

Bella paused with the key card halfway to the door and turned back to Connor.

"Yeah?"

Connor shifted nervously from foot to foot for a moment. "Would you like to hang out with me tomorrow?" He asked.

Bella smiled. "I'd like that. Meet me in the lobby at noon?"

Connor smiled and nodded, heading back down the hall to the elevators, Bella watching him until the elevator doors closed, stealing him from view.

As Connor disappeared, Bella unlocked her hotel room door and quickly went inside, bracing herself for the lecture she knew she was about to get from Charlie for not calling.

Over the next two weeks, Bella and Connor spent most of their time together. Sometimes they went to the movies or the mall while other times they simply hung out at Bella's hotel room or the Hyperion, where Connor lived.

Bella got to meet Connor's dad Angel, a demonic vampire with a soul, and the rest of Connor's family and Connor got to meet Charlie, who decided he liked Connor much better than Edward.

The two weeks of Christmas Break sped by quickly and soon it was time for Bella and Charlie to head back to Forks. Bella had talked Charlie into stopping at the Hyperion on their way to the airport so that she could say goodbye to Connor.

The two teens stood in the lobby of the Hyperion as they said their goodbyes, Angel and the others having made themselves scarce in order to give them some privacy.

"So, I'll see you over Spring Break, right?" Bella asked as she hugged Connor.

Connor hugged her back tightly before pulling back with a grin. "Of course," He replied. "And we'll talk all the time until then."

"Tell Lorne I said thank you?" Bella requested.

Connor nodded and hugged Bella one more time before stepping back.

"I'll call you when I get home," Bella said before turning to head to the door and out to the car where Charlie was waiting. She paused after a few steps and bit her lip lightly in thought. After a few moments of indecision, Bella nodded to herself and turned back to Connor. She strode up to him confidently and reached out to ball his shirt in her hand and pull him close. She flashed a smile at him as she wrapped her other arm around his neck and pulled his head down as she leaned up, their lips meeting halfway.

Connor froze in surprise for a moment before his eyes drifted closed and his arms wrapped his arms around Bella's waist, pulling her closer as his tongue swept over her lips asking for entry.

Bella moaned softly as she opened her mouth to Connor, fireworks exploding behind her eyelids as the kiss deepened.

Bella smiled as the kiss broke. "I'm going to miss you," She whispered.

Connor nodded and pressed a quick kiss to her lips. "I'll miss you, too."

"I'll see you in a couple months," Bella said as she stepped back from Connor, his arms slipping from around her waist.

Connor nodded and watched as Bella turned and left the hotel.

As Charlie pulled away from the Hyperion, Bella and Connor were thinking the same thing.

That Spring Break couldn't come soon enough.

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**Well? I hope you all liked it! I seem to have been on a bit of a Twilight kick lately...You wouldn't believe the amount of notes I have for new Twilight fics! Not planning on starting any of those too son, though since I would like to get somw of my other stuff updated first. But anyway, I hope you all liked this, leave a review and let me know what you think, please?**

**~ Kyra**


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